Cellular phone networks offer subscribers a variety of communication services. Basic network services permit mobile subscribers to place and receive phone calls and exchange text messages. Network configurations for such services are specified in several cellular network standards such as, for example, the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) standard that is in widespread use throughout the world. GSM uses digital time-division multiple access (TDMA) to arrange 200 kHz communication channels into eight time slots. In addition to voice services, text messaging is provided as Short Message Service (SMS) messaging. While GSM SMS message length is limited, use of SMS messaging is widespread, particularly among teenage network users.
Network subscribers continue to demand services in addition to voice and text messaging, and cellular network standards have been developed or modified in order to accommodate provision of additional services. For example, GSM networks frequently provide data transfers in accordance with the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) protocol or the Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) protocol. A Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) completes radio bearer setup to the user device. UMTS can be configured to provide data transfer rates of up to about 14 Mbit/s. Typical implementations provide data rates of between about 384 kbit/s and 2 Mbit/s. UMTS provides access to high data rate services such as multimedia messaging, TV and video entertainment, mobile internet access, and video calling. Base stations and Radio Network Controllers (RNCs) are included in the UTRAN. The base stations include an interface for connection to user equipment and the RNCs include an interface for connection to a core network. An RNC and any associated base stations are sometimes referred to as a Radio Network Subsystem.
Allocation of network resources to a particular subscriber can be based on the type of service requested. For example, data rates needed for satisfactory voice and video services can be considerably different. In addition, preferred network requirements for transmission of live video are generally different than those for transmission of stored video clips. In current systems, quality of service (QoS) can only be setup upon service initiation and establishment of a packet data protocol (PDP) context and a corresponding radio bearer. Initiating a new service or a new application that requires a different QoS requires a new radio bearer and a new PDP context. If a user starts a communication such as web browsing using an interactive QoS class, this QoS class is used for the radio bearer. If the user finds a streaming video site and starts a video download, the application continues to use the interactive QoS class, lacking any ability to notify the network of the QoS change. Even if the network were notified, a new QoS can only be provided by establishing a new PDP context and a new radio bearer. Thus, changing QoS parameters can require multiple radio bearers and multiple PDP contexts, even though the user may only use one application at a time.
In one existing method, a user initiates a first application, and a PDP activation request is sent and accepted by a serving GPRS support node (SGSN). Prior to initiating a second application with a different QoS profile, the user must stop the first application so that the network can tear down the first PDP context and the radio bearer. The user then starts the second application, and the network requests a second PDP context activation with a second QoS profile. A second radio bearer is setup per this second QoS profile. Not only is this procedure slow, frustrating the user, in some cases, the second PDP context fails to be activated. For example, if the user fails to terminate the first application or the network load is at a peak, then PDP context activation for the second application may be blocked. Another disadvantage of this procedure is that different access point information and PDP context information should be provisioned both at mobile devices and in the wireless network at, for example, a Home Location Register (HLR). Typical networks avoid such provisioning by sharing access point and PDP context information over a variety of applications. Unfortunately, different applications such as email, web access, instant messaging, and video sharing have very different QoS requirements that cannot be met in such systems.
In another existing method, a PDP activation request is sent and accepted by an SGSN for a first application, and the UTRAN completes radio bearer setup to the device. If the user initiates a second application with a different QoS profile, the network will setup a second PDP context if a multiple PDP context feature is permitted by the network. A new PDP context will be setup, without tearing down the original radio bearer. In this case, the original radio bearer may not satisfy the new QoS for the new PDP context. In addition, configuring a network to permit multiple PDP context functionality can be expensive, and some networks and devices do not support multiple PDP contexts. For such networks and devices, this multiple PDP context procedure cannot be used. Multiple PDP contexts are also disadvantageous in that each of the multiple PDP contexts associated with a mobile station consumes a portion of network radio resources, so that network efficiency is reduced.
Thus, as described above, current systems use radio resources inefficiently and provide a poor user experience, and networks that provide multiple services can be burdened by the processing of service requests. In view of these and other shortcomings, improved methods and apparatus for service provisioning are needed.